'Look to Me continually for help, comfort and companionship. Because I am always by your side, the briefest glance can connect you with Me. When you look to Me for help, it flows freely from My Presence. This recognition of your need for Me, in small matters as well as in large ones, keeps you spiritually alive.
When you need comfort, I love to enfold you in My arms. I enable you not only to feel comforted but also to be a channel through whom I comfort others. Thus you are doubly blessed, because a living channel absorbs some of whatever flows through it.
My constant Companionship is the piece de resistance: the summit of salvation blessings. No matter what losses you experience in your life, no one can take away this glorious gift.'
Mom's funeral was all I had hoped it would be and more. I wanted people who didn't know my Mother well or much about her life to know more of her after the funeral. I wanted people who played a special part in Mom's life to have a part as much as possible - I wanted to honour her.
Three of my cousins who 'adopted' my Mom, especially during the time of my treatment combined to give the eulogy. Cheryl began with a brief history of important dates and times in Mom's life, she also read a contribution from my cousin Kerry, her brother. Next was Colleen, who along with cousins Gerry and Phil, was mothered by my mother during her early years following the loss of her natural mother. She spoke of the relationship that developed between her and Mom over the last few years. Gerry summed it all up with the following contribution -
'Hi, my name is Gerry – I am one of Aunt Ivy’s ‘girls’
What do you do when
you live in a shoe?
If you are Aunt Ivy and you have a brother with three
children who are suddenly without a wife and mother, you take them in until
they are healed and ready to stand on their own two feet again.
What do you do when
you live in a shoe?
If you are Ivy Mae Down and you lose your husband before you
have a chance to grow old together, you pick yourself up and you carry on
because you have four children who still need your love and guidance.
What do you do when
you live in a shoe?
If you are Mother Down and you lose a son and a daughter you
still have to keep carrying on because you still have two more children to hold
and love.
What do you do when
you live in a shoe?
If you are Ivy Down and you fall and break a hip and
shoulder at the same time and you are facing a long road back to health, you
use every ounce of willpower and determination to get yourself back to as good
as new as possible so that you can get back to your family and friends as soon
as you can…just in case they need you.
I think the phrase “what do you do when you live in a shoe?”
was one of the sayings I most often heard from Aunt Ivy. To me it always embodied Aunt Ivy’s belief
that life will throw you curve balls from time to time, but you just have to
keep picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and doing the best that you can
with the circumstances in which you find yourself.
We will all have our own fond memories of Ivy, Mum, Grandma,
or Aunt Ivy. I hope that we can all
remember the kind, generous, loving soul that was a part of our lives and take
a page from her book, “What do you do
when you live in a shoe?” In today’s
vernacular, “keep calm and carry on”.'
Next my nephew Joel sang the song 'He', which had very special meaning for him and for our family. When my sister Carol (Joel's mother) was about 15 she discovered this song and she was requested to sing it at several events. Joel was unaware that this was 'Carol's song' when he discovered it at about the age of 17. Since the first time I heard him sing it, it has touched me that he unknowingly shared this special song with his mother.
Following Joel's song, the other 5 grandsons joined Joel on the platform and, from oldest to youngest, they each gave a tribute to 'Grandma'. I hadn't realized until the funeral just how many sayings my Mom had but each of them seemed to bring out another one and a different facet of who 'Grandma' was.
I had asked if the great
grandchildren could contribute some of their art to honour Mom - they
exceeded the request, here is the beautiful artwork from the 'greats' -
We closed with the hymn 'Great is Thy Faithfulness'. I chose this hymn as the last time I brought Mom to church we sang this sang as a congregation and she sang along so enthusiastically; she 'owned' each word as she sang.
We were so blessed after the interment to have a more than abundant lunch provided and prepared by dear friends.. Jane's comment in sending me a picture of the prepared food was a blessing also -
'I am sending you a picture of what we made just for fun as it all looked so plentiful, I think your Mom would have been proud to serve it to her friends and family.'
I think Jane is right.
God is good!
Take care, everyone.
What a great tribute to your mother.
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